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Rob Portman’s ‘genteel’ conservatism

Sen. Rob Portman is a Bush man, all right. But just not the Bush you may be thinking of.

In both his political education and political identity, Portman is much more closely aligned with the 41st president than with the 43rd. The Ohio senator and GOP vice-presidential finalist got his start in national politics on George H.W. Bush’s 1980 presidential campaign and partly owes his first congressional victory to former first lady Barbara Bush, who recorded a radio ad name-dropping Cincinnati’s Skyline Chili and Portman in the same sentence. And overall, his views and political style are more reminiscent of the first President Bush: center-right, bipartisan, results-oriented and gentlemanly, if not terribly charismatic.

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As the clock ticks toward a decision by Mitt Romney on his running mate and speculation about Portman intensifies, he’s coming under increasing scrutiny for his work as George W. Bush’s trade representative and director of Office of Management and Budget. Conservatives fret what that might mean for his approach to spending, which spiked under the most recent GOP administration, and victory-hungry Republicans worry about putting somebody on the ticket who may remind swing voters of the party’s recent unpleasantness.

But those who know Portman well say he was shaped far more by the consensus-driven politics of Bush the elder, for whom the Ohioan worked in the White House during 41’s single term.

Portman calls himself the most conservative Ohio senator since the legendary Robert Taft — and keeps an iconic oil painting of “Mr. Republican” in his Russell Building office — but is no ideological warrior.

“He’s a genteel conservative,” said Curt Steiner, a longtime Ohio Republican strategist who ran Portman’s special election to the House in 1993. “He’s able to bridge gaps and work with everyone while still maintaining base credentials.”

Former Wyoming Sen. Alan Simpson, whom Portman also counts as a mentor, said the potential Romney running mate could be described “in three words: Make things work.”

“That’s him,” said Simpson. “That’s what he tries to do — make things work. And he works with Democrats and Republicans to do it.”

Congressional vote rankings are not an exact science but do offer a broad indication of where Portman falls in the body politic. According to National Journal, he was the 35th most conservative member of the Senate in 2011. His lifetime American Conservative Union score is 88 percent. By comparison, John McCain’s lifetime ACU rating is 83 percent.

If Romney picks a Senator he will pick Marco Rubio. Romney needs control of the Senate if he is to get America moving Forward again, Obama/Biden has failed, obviously. Picking Portman could mean losing that seat to a Democrat when he's replaced, too risky.

If Romney picks a Governor it will be Bob McDonnell of Virginia who has military experience and who took Northern Virginia during his election even though the dirty Washington POST did everything they could to smear his "great" name running one smear story after another on this great family man with a wife and I believe 4-5 daughters.

If Romney picks a Congressional Rep. it will probably be Paul Ryan of WI who could help win that state for Mitt.

All three Rubio, McDonnell, and Ryan are all qualified to lead the country and all three come from very important toss-up states.

This man will do allright to defer the reality. I'd even bet that he'll want to borrow 56% (money we do not have) to hold more L.A.W.'s [Lied About Wars]. So 'bring it on' as Bush Light decried. Then go make a lot of mistakes over lies.. destroy water resources, infrastructure.. not to mention a million deaths.

This is real American Exceptionalism at its 'best'.

You lie, you cheat, you steal.. then you claim you are for democratic institutions.

You murder over zero yellow-cake, zero WMD's.. then claim some high position of decency.

I've been looking at the electoral map. The candidate who wins two of the following three states will win the White House: Florida, Virginia and Ohio. I think the whole VP pick potentially winning a state or more for the nominee of his party is vastly overrated. That said, in a very close election, where someone like this could make a 1-3% difference, it would seem like the prudent move for Willard to make. Gov. Ultrasound is off the table in VA. This leaves Pubio and Portman. Flip a coin.

Great. Politico sold us Romney and now is selling us Portman. These are the SOB's who helped set the USA up to borrow 40% of all FY 2011spending, and assure us that all we need to do is give the big banks access to free money they can then loan out at exorbitant rates, and all will be well. Not that it matters to me, I will be voting for Libertarian Party candidate Gary Johnson in November. A pox on all their houses.

Will Obama dump Joe "THE GAFFER" Biden during the DNC convention and annouce Hillary Clinton as his VP if his failed economic recovery gets even worse?

Obama's failed economic recovery and the sufferings of the millions of unemployed Americans because of Obama's failed and unAmerican policies are making Mitt Romney to be the most important person on the GOP ticket this year. Mitt Romney's VP choice will only be to prepare that person for their 2020 election to become president of the United States.

Portman was Bush's budget director, you know, the same budget that conveniently left the Afghanistan and Iraq wars "off the books." He was also Bush's trade rep. Probably facilitated some Bain shenanigans shipping jobs overseas while in that role. Why don't you look into THAT, Politico, instead of wondering how gentlemanly Portman is? (PS Ohio considers him a big snooooooze.)

This truncated political biography certainly highlights qualities I want in Romney's VP pick. If Portman is truly "a particularly thoughtful, very smart, very dedicated all-around good guy who was (is) very measured," and learned that "honor, decency, and integrity are not only consistent with public service but essential to it," then he has some key features of presidential material. If Nick Calio is right in his description of Portman as a "doer," interested in getting things done the right way, which in part means "working across the aisle" in bipartisan collegiality, then Portman has some important things going for him that would serve our country well.

Portman has for some time been one of two I think Romney may pick. The other is Pawlenty. I give Portman the edge. While Pawlenty brings the appeal of someone that comes from the blue-collar working class and maybe just a little more campaign trail zing of the rather zing-less duo, Portman has that Ivy League background and the I-come-from-wealth upbringing that the one percenters, like Mitt and Anne, find so appealing, especially since modern-day presidents and VP's are bound to work and socialize together more than in older times.

I don't know much about Portman, but whenever the partisan press says something nice, or even neutral, about a Republican, we better watch out. Especially when that guy considers Simpson to be a mentor. Comparing him to McCain is not doing him any favors either. The word is that McCain is thinking of switching parties and becoming a Republican.

Romney is going to need the tea party people to come out in force and support his ticket. If he doesn't pick someone with strong tea party credentials, it could turn what is likely to be a cakewalk into a real cliffhanger. He will not win any votes by selecting someone acceptable to Democrats. They hate anyone with an "R" next to their name anyway. He needs to select a real in-your-face conservative to really rile up the partisan press.

If he is so bipartisan just show me just once that he have gone against Republican senate leader McConnell, who from the very first day Obama was inaugurated as President, said that his only motto to make sure that Obama can not last beyond one term nothing else, let whole country go to dogs and Portman always voted with the party leader and you call him bipartisan, I think it is the most hogwash story I have ever read.